Specialists give advice to doctors and patients on what needs to be done
By
April Chong
Chances are very low that the virus would be transmitted through the mother's milk. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
NEW guidelines for treating pregnant women who have H1N1 influenza were issued on Thursday, at a time when the virus is spreading in the community, with 19 mums-to-be infected.
NEW MOTHERS AND FLU
THE Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Singapore says that new mothers who have the H1N1 flu can continue to breastfeed their babies if they:
One 22-year-old who is six months' pregnant is under intensive care. The Obstetrical & Gynaecological Society of Singapore issued the advice for doctors and patients after receiving more queries from doctors on how to treat pregnant patients with H1N1.
Doctors have been advised on how to look out for patients who should be sent to hospital. Signs include chest pain and severe vomiting.
They have also been told to administer antiviral treatment early, with drugs such as Tamiflu, instead of waiting for test results, as treatment is the most effective if given as soon as symptoms begin.
The guidelines also assure nursing mothers they can continue to breastfeed, if they take precautions such as washing their hands beforehand. Breast milk raises immunity in newborns and could help to prevent them from falling ill.
Chances are very low that the virus would be transmitted through the mother's milk.
Seasonal flu epidemics and previous flu pandemics have shown that pregnant women are at higher risk of suffering complications than other women, said Dr Chee Jing Jye, who heads the peripartum unit at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).
Pregnancy could make women more vulnerable to complications because it increases stress. The heart has to pump more blood through the body and the expanding womb presses on the lung space, said Dr Tony Tan, a specialist in high-risk pregnancies and a member of the team that crafted the guidelines.
Pregnant women with underlying conditions such as asthma are at even higher risk of complications, noted Dr Chee. These could result in miscarriages, early labour or even stillbirths.
Less is known about the risk of the virus passing from mother to foetus, said Dr Tan. Still, if the mother has a high fever, the foetus could suffer spine or brain damage, so treating the mother is crucial.
Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.
